One of the people that I count as having had a dramatic impact on the intellectual approaches in my life is Dr. Stephen R. Covey.

I was deeply saddened when I learned that Dr. Covey had passed away. I realize that Dr. Covey was an older man, but I feel cheated and robbed a little bit because his time was cut short. I want to publicly (and in a personal way) express my appreciation and acknowledge the contributions he made in my life.

Indeed, Dr. Covey was the headline endorser for The Zig Zag Principle and for this I am deeply grateful. Of course, the credibility added by Stephen R. Covey was immense. I so appreciate his willingness to endorse my book. Far deeper than that; however, is the intellectual capital that Dr. Stephen Covey passed on to me.

In the 80’s I was a student of is. Being a young person at the time–I was forming my thought patterns, and of course his teachings played a big role in that. I have to admit that I’ve read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People no fewer than ten times. I’ve often joked that I probably should be credited for the book’s international sales because I have given a copy to every executive that I worked with in my career both at Novell and at Mitsubishi Electric.

There’s not a week that goes by that I don’t apply some angle or aspect of Dr. Covey’s teachings, including: - The time matrix prioritization- The area of influence- The area of concern - Or first things first.

Dr. Covey, I want to personally express my appreciation and acknowledge you as truly leaving a legacy. I believe you achieved the goal of having an impact on humanity.

Thank you Dr. Covey.

You’ll be deeply missed not only by myself, but by many others who have looked to you as a mentor and as a hero.